Marched right into school with the idea to come and straighten out things with Michelle, because no one could mess with Mickey Varsity like that, or at least no girl could. But something like this was far from expected when witnessing it, not first handedly on the action, from a phone call.
*
Michelle practically dragged herself into school, gauze wrapped around her wrist and hand. It wouldn’t have been too noticeable if she wasn’t wearing black leather, but fortunately, no one bothered to go up to her and ask.
“Hey, babe.”
She glanced over to the side and saw Logan standing there, at his locker. Knowing better than just giving a mere greeting and continuing to walk towards her locker, she walked right over. “Hey,” Michelle replied as her boyfriend leaned in and kissed her gently.
At times, Logan would attempt deepening the kiss to try experiencing the hot makeout sessions Michelle had with Mickey. He would attempt acting a bit rough, grabbing her waist unexpectedly and kissing her. But each attempt came with failure, the knowledge of the “old” Michelle being back, but in sexier clothes.
For this morning, though, Logan didn’t attempt swooning Michelle like bad boys would or that was how she saw the comparison as being.
He pulled away and propped himself up against his locker, crossing his arms. “What happened to your wrist?” Logan asked curiously, gently taking her bandaged hand and raising it to get a better look.
“Just a little sprain,” she murmured in a half-lie. Her wrist was sprained a little, but that wasn’t the reason for the bandage. Why in the world would she allow a large, nasty bruise on her wrist be shown to a school of stupid, gossiping teenagers? With the bruise fading away on her cheek, the last thing she wanted was attention on her wrist.
Though, by wearing the gauze, it definitely gained some attention.
When Logan sent her a look to continue explaining, she plastered a fake smile and lied soothingly, also leaning against the locker, "I was helping Megan carry out things, but when I picked up one of the boxes, I didn't realize it was so heavy and slightly, uh, sprained it. Nothing too crazy to worry about." At the sight of the disbelieving look, Michelle but her lower lip and ran her unwounded hand up his chest. "What? You don't believe me?" she inquired, purposely sounding hurt.
His orbs of gray widened at the sudden emotion Michelle was showing towards him. And that emotion was seduction– something Logan liked greatly, much to her knowledge. He placed his hand over hers and smirked down at her, telling her that it was working. “I do believe you, Michy,” he murmured quietly, tilting his head towards her. He gave her a soft and loving kiss, but it quickly turned into something more.
Or at least it was meant to turn into something more.
Michelle pulled her lips away at the sound of the bell, mentally grimacing at the knowledge of her officially being late to class. “I need to get my books,” she said weakly.
A hard look was on Logan’s face for a moment, but disappeared quickly. He nodded. “Yeah, okay. I’ll see you later then,” he replied, pulled Michelle and himself off his locker to close it, and walked away.
Staring helplessly at his back, she bit her inside lip. She really needed to get over herself, because there was no more Mickey! No more! Absolutely gone… He was just a vague memory now, never to return with those delicious kisses. Michelle had to get used to being back with Logan, because they– a fleeting smile appeared on her lips– were going to get married once high school was over. Things aren’t always what you wanted.
“Logan!” Michelle called out, struggling to remember the deep love she once felt for him. She practically forced it upon her the moment Logan turned around. She hurried over to him, threw her arms around his neck, and gave a thirty-second, passionate kiss that once she pulled away, dazed was how Logan looked.
But, before she could head towards her locker, he wrapped his arms securely around her waist and hungrily ravished her lips.
To make sure she wouldn’t pull away, she decided to spoil herself and imagine she was kissing Mickey. Those two were bipolar kisses; Logan less experienced than Mickey, in Michelle’s opinion. Mickey’s lips were always moist and soft while Logan’s were mainly cracked with hints of moisture. Somehow, though, Michelle managed to slightly pull the mental switcheroo.
Ah, despite kissing Logan as if kissing Mickey, all past deeds never goes unpunished.
*
“I don’t get why you went back to that stupid school.”
“You went back last Thursday.”
Chuckles erupted from the other line and Chrissie chimed, “Yeah, but that was just to see Mickey.”
“And what do you think I’m doing?” Ronnie retorted, stuffing one hand into his sweatpants’ pocket.
Today was practically his lazy day, wearing sweats and not trying to “male-beautify” himself. His hair, though short, somehow looked unkempt and his body didn’t give off some fresh or delicious smelling odor. He literally dragged himself out of bed and headed to the school. Last night, from overtiredness of talking things out with Mickey the night before, he just knocked out on his bed in his sweats. Ronnie knew he still looked hot when a mess like he was now, but he wasn’t at the school to flirt with girls– obviously.
Determination took over each bone, muscle, and blood within Ronnie to hunt down Michelle and give her a piece of his mind. No one pulled that type of shit to his best friend, Mickey, and got away with the murder.
Ronnie just knew from the start when Mickey told him about Michelle and their “fake relationship” that Mickey would be the one left in the ruins. He knew it the moment Mickey first uttered the words, “I like this girl named, uh, Michelle Richmond,” which was over three years ago. He just knew it!
And he couldn’t blame his friend for the sudden heartbreak. Mickey– the dang bad boy of the town!– finally got the chance to be with the girl he crushed on for so long, only to be crushed three days after dating. Just three! It shocked Mickey, Chrissie, and even Ronnie. Michelle seemed to purely love being with Mickey, kissing him, embracing him… She admitted to wanting to give up her virginity to Mickey as well!
So, of course, Ronnie wasn’t going to let this slide.
Nope. Nada…
Rounding a corner, Ronnie faltered at the sound of a voice coming from within the “abandoned hallways”. He crept towards the hall and pushed his back up against the wall, slightly peeking his head out. Bullseye, he cheered to himself at the sight of the brunette who broke his best friend’s heart.
He was going to come out from hiding to yell at her when she spoke and turned around.
“Max, uh, please,” Michelle whimpered, revealing her tear stained and puffed cheeks. Her eyes were red from crying, and at that moment, she looked like she was going to collapse any second. “I-I didn’t mean to be so… cold towards Logan. I-I promise to work harder–” She stopped, pausing to listen to the other line.
Her hand covered her mouth as it looked like she was crying more violently now. “B-But I-I ki-kissed Logan today!” she whimpered, peeling her hand momentarily from her mouth. “Isn’t that b-better than nothing?! I-I’m warming up!”
*
Michelle slightly panicked at the sight of her phone ringing. That wasn’t the part she was panicking about– it was who the caller ID said was calling. She quickly shot out of her desk, signed out of the stupid bathroom log, grabbed the pass, and left her Spanish classroom.
Gnawing at her lower lip, she snucked into the “abandoned hallway” where she once was practically attacked and almost raped. She took out her phone and answered it with a shaky voice, “H-Hello?”
“Oh, Michelle, Michelle,” tsked a voice that made a terrible shiver run down her spine. “I hope you’re aware of the reason I’m calling.”
She silently gulped and responded, half honest, “I-I don’t. I really don’t know why.”
“Well, it may have to do with the fact that you’re not appreciating my gift to you,” her father barked, causing her to cringe and pull the phone away a bit. “You’re a fucking spoiled brat, you know!”
Michelle began to pace the hall as she listened to her father– or as he prefered her to call him Max since he hated being known as her father– rant about how self-centered and spoiled she is. How she doesn’t even deserve a man like Logan in her life. But slowly, she started to hyperventilate and tears sprung to her eyes.
Why?
Because she knew what was about to come.
Glancing down at her gauzed hand, she decided to take it off. She was in an empty hallway that wouldn’t be touched for quite a while, so no one will see her terribly bruised hand. Slowly, she slipped the gauze off from her hand, revealing her hideous, black and blue had covered in lumps and bumps from having it crushed and attacked in various ways. Michelle silently cringed at the memory.
“When you fucking get home, you’re getting a fucking beating!” Max finally barked the line she was waiting for. "Your fucking coldness will fucking nip your dumb ass!"
"Max, uh, please," she whimpered, feeling ready to collapse onto the floor. Begging was the only thing left to do, but most likely would not work. "I-I didn't mean to be so... cold towards Logan. I-I promise to work harder–"
“Promise, promise, promise!” he sang in a bitter, mocking voice. “Aw! You’re so cute, Michelle.” Venom and sarcasm drowned out the word “cute”.
She covered her mouth, her crying worsening. “B-But I-I ki-kissed Logan today!” she whimpered weakly, pulling her hand from her mouth. “Isn’t that b-better than nothing?! I-I’m warming up!”
“You decide now to warm up to your fiance? What? Weren’t you on your knees missing him when you two broke up? Oh, wait. You were hanging around Mickey Varsity like a whore.”
*
Ronnie’s eyes narrowed at Michelle’s pacing figure. What was going on? The girl looked absolutely terrified, as if she was about to get murdered and was trying to convince the murderer to postpone the death. Something’s off.
That was when he caught sight of the fading bruise on her cheek– His eyes grew wide when he saw the lumpy, black and blue mess known as Michelle’s hand that was being cradled to her chest. Mickey told me that she was having accidents lately, Ronnie thought to himself, almost hyperventilating along with Michelle, who looked as if she was getting worse. Those weren’t accidents! She’s getting abused! But… who’s Max?
“D-Dad,” she stuttered then winced and corrected, “I-I mean Max. I promise to do better, please!”
Jaw slacking, he almost facepalmed himself. How could Ronnie forget about the time he was “wasted” at Michelle’s house and how terrified Michelle got at the sound of her parents, mainly her father! She practically paled like a ghost at that moment.
“Sorry,” Michelle cried, covering her mouth. That was it– she collapsed to her knees and violently shook. There was a pause and her shaking worsen. “I told you before! I’m not seeing Mickey anymore! Leave him out of this, please!”
This time, Ronnie did facepalm himself, but not loud enough to gain her attention. That was it– he couldn’t stand listening to this conversation anymore. Turning so his back was against the wall, he closed his eyes.
Marched right into school with the idea to come and straighten out things with Michelle, because no one could mess with Mickey Varsity like that, or at least no girl could. But something like this was far from expected when witnessing it, not first handedly on the action, from a phone call.
“D-Dad,” she stuttered, but quickly caught her mistake and cringed. “I-I mean Max,” Michelle corrected before he could yell at her more. “I promise to do better, please!”
“You’re a pathetic piece of trash! You seriously believe you don’t deserve a beating?”
“Sorry!” Michelle hissed, covering her mouth again. Officially shaking violently, she collapsed to her knees.
“Let me guess,” an indescribable tone laced his voice, being a combination that may include mischief and sarcasm, “you don’t want Logan, the man who contains the best, damn sperm that will one day create your babies, because you still want Mickey, the bad boy that will leave you in the dumps within months. You’re pathetic. Let me guess, you’re still with him, aren’t you? You are, I knew it!”
“I told you before! I’m not seeing Mickey anymore! Leave him out of this, please!”
“He deserves death, you know,” he chimed, much to what she feared.
God, if her father– or Max– hadn’t threatened Mickey and his family when forcing Michelle to return dating Logan, she would’ve ran right to Mickey and spilled the beans. She would’ve abandoned the scrap that was meant to be her home. But no; Max threatened the Varsity family without them knowing.
Even though everyone knew the Varsity’s as one of the most powerful and scariest families in town, in state, Michelle knew that Max could do murder. He had people– had connections. Still would’ve ended up in jail for murder one way or another, but he would do it with the knowledge that the “only candidate” left for his “daughter” was going to be Logan O’Connor no matter what.
*
The day after the next, Ronnie received news of Michelle coming into school with a cast on her leg.
He silently groaned and covered his face, muttering, “Lesson whatever… don’t do shit by yourself.”